Chapter 28
The Philistines go to war against Israel while David is living in Gaza. Achish, King of the Philistine's in that area, who's land David and his people are staying in, tells David he expects him to fight with the Philistines against Israel. David says he will. Achish makes David his bodyguard for life.
Saul sees the army of Achish and is afraid. He seeks counsel of God, prophets, and the Urim. God is silent. So Saul has his men go and find a medium he can consult and they find one in Endor. She summons up Samuel, and recognizes Saul in the process. Samuel is upset at Saul for bringing him up.
2021 - Saul had put all the mediums and necromancers out of Israel. God abhors such things. Saul surely knew this. Rather than wait on the Lord, since he was not being answered right away, Saul once again takes matters into his own hands. This has always been a fault with Saul. He has no patience whatsoever with God. He considers God one of many possibilities, not his only help in time of trouble. When God doesn't answer right away, Saul sends for a witch of Endor. Surely this is where the term comes from.
2024 - In vs. 14:
14 He said to her, "What is his appearance?" And she said, "An old man is coming up, and he is wrapped in a robe." And Saul knew that it was Samuel, and he bowed with his face to the ground and paid homage. [1Sa 28:14 ESV], Saul recognizes the description of Samuel, though as worded it seems that only the witch can see Samuel. As the witch sees Samuel, she suddenly recognizes Saul. Many say this isn't really Samuel, because necromancers do not exist. But it seems pretty certain to me from this passage that they certainly do. Also. some say it was a demon from hell that was summoned up, intent on deceit. But the predictions of the apparition of Samuel foretells exactly what is going to happen. I don't think Satan or his demons can do this. I think they can make educated guesses about the future, but they cannot be certain. If they could, the test for a false prophet would not be valid. Therefore, they cannot do it. This apparition does it. This is Samuel. Now perhaps it was possible to summon someone out of Sheol, but I do not see the possibility of summoning someone out of heaven itself.
18 Because you did not obey the voice of the LORD and did not carry out his fierce wrath against Amalek, therefore the LORD has done this thing to you this day. 19 Moreover, the LORD will give Israel also with you into the hand of the Philistines, and tomorrow you and your sons shall be with me. The LORD will give the army of Israel also into the hand of the Philistines." [1Sa 28:18-19 ESV]
Many interesting things here. First, Saul is about to receive the consequences of not killing all the livestock in that first big battle. The one where he was smaller than he thought he was. Second, it won't be just Saul who suffers, but all Israel. The nation will pay for the disobedience of their leader. Third, Samuel tells Saul that he and his sons will be with Samuel tomorrow. That means they'll be dead, so Saul has 24 hours to live. His children likewise will be dead tomorrow. But where, exactly, will they be together? Samuel should be in the Bosom of Abraham. Saul should be in hell. In those days, there was Sheol, with a place for the evil to burn and the good to wait for the resurrection. Probably Sheol is where they'll all be.
2024 - In verse 15 Samuel is angry at Saul for "bringing him up". I would think that sounds more like "bringing him up" from Sheol, rather than bringing him "down" from heaven. This is OT. The souls of the righteous are captive still, waiting upon the perfect sacrifice that will take captivity captive and set them free to go into the Paradise of God in heaven, where the thief went at Jesus' invitation.
2022 - MSB does have a note on this, but it is trivial, and does not speculate in any way. Says this may mean they will all be in "the abode of the righteous". I don't know where that even is. Also, that term is not used in either the ESV or the KJV, so I wonder where MSB got that? What we do know for certain is that Samuel meant that Saul and his boys were going to die "tomorrow".
2022 - Saul is so frightened by this prospect that he falls full length on the ground. He is incapacitated. He seems to be an abject coward. But then again, this is how the lost ought to feel all day every day. Saul understands that he is NOT in God's favor today, and that he will surely be in God's presence tomorrow. That is and should be a frightening prospect.